Vegan Caesar Salad with Crispy Tofu Croutons

This vegan Caesar salad recipe is topped with golden brown herbed tofu “croutons” for crunch and protein. The creamy dressing is completely dairy free, easy to make, and it’s loaded with nutritious ingredients!

Who else could eat Caesar salad infinitely until they explode? Anyone? Just me? Ok. Guess I’ll have to eat alllllll of this crunchy, creamy freshness all by myself. DARN. And those crispy, herbed tofu “croutons” on top? All mine, too. 😜😜

JK, JK. I know you guys want some of this salad situation! But first, let’s chat weekend. How was yours? Did you travel? Did you celebrate Easter? Did you eat anything awesome? Did you meal prep? Did you get to spend time outdoors?

Clark and I just had one of the most domestic weekends of all time. We live in a rental house and this is our first time ever having a “yard.” I use the term yard loosely because Colorado is rather arid, to say the least – it’s not exactly a grass-friendly climate. The odds are definitely against us, but we’re determined to grow at least some grass without breaking the bank or skyrocketing our water bill.

So we spent Friday and Saturday digging up countless stubborn weeds, cleaning up the fence, and raking the crunchy dead debris from the yard. We filled 3 contractor bags which seems like a helluva lot for the size of our yard. Then we went to Home Depot for a sprinkler, grass seed, and flowers for the outdoor planters. Now, we wait. And we foam roll our sore hamstrings and give each other back rubs and spread lotion on the accidental sunburns. Yard work is no joke and/or I’m getting old.

Either way, I’m eating THIS salad for dinner tonight and it’s this salad and I’m not mad about it.

Tons of crunchy, fresh romaine topped with crispy tofu bites that we’re calling croutons because they’re golden brown and deliciously herby. Then it’s all smothered in the best vegan version of Caesar dressing you will ever have the pleasure of tasting. I’m serious when I say this dressing tastes as good as the “real deal” buttermilk-parmesan-anchovy version. Clark has walked into the kitchen to find me dipping romaine, broccoli, carrots, etc. into a the dressing jar on more than one occasion. I have no shame. It’s just. SO. good.

The whole thing comes together quickly – just toss seasoned tofu in the skillet for a few minutes and pulse all of the dressing ingredients in a food processor or blender. Add the romaine to a large bowl (preferably one with a lid), add the tofu, and pour the dressing over top and shake it all together.

Make this salad ASAP to make all of your spring food dreams come true. And tell me about it over on Insta so I can share your creation!

Vegan Caesar Salad with Crispy Tofu Croutons

This vegan Caesar salad recipe is topped with golden brown herbed tofu “croutons” for crunch and protein. The creamy dressing is completely dairy free, easy to make, and it’s loaded with nutritious ingredients!

Author:The Fitchen

Prep Time:10 mins

Cook Time:20 mins

Total Time:30 minutes

Yield:4 side salads 1x

Category:Side Dish

Scale

Ingredients

8 cups romaine, chopped

Dressing

½ cup raw cashews, soaked

¼ cup coconut milk, canned + whole

2 Tablespoons water

1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

1 Tablespoon tamari or soy sauce

1 Tablespoon nutritional yeast

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

Dash of cayenne, optional

Tofu

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 block extra firm tofu (ours was 14 oz.)

1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning blend

½ teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Wash and dry romaine, then chop and place into a large bowl. Preferably one with a lid! Refrigerate until later.

In a food processor or blender, combine all ingredients for the Caesar dressing. Pulse until smooth and creamy. If it’s too thick for your liking, add a bit more water to thin out. I love the thick consistency! Set aside for later.

Drain tofu and press to remove as much excess water as possible. Chop the tofu into cubes about 1″ square – or whatever size you prefer croutons to be! Place chopped tofu in a ziplock bag (or large bowl) and add 1 Tablespoon of olive oil, Italian seasoning, sea salt, and pepper. Toss to combine.

In a large nonstick or cast iron skillet, heat 1 Tablespoon of olive oil to medium. Add tofu to the skillet and allow the cubes to get a nice sear. Cook for 15-20 minutes total, flipping the tofu occasionally to brown evenly. Remove from the skillet and allow to cool.

Once tofu is cool, add tofu to the bowl with romaine, then pour the dressing over top. Mix thoroughly until everything is well coated. Serve and enjoy!

thefitchen

I’ve been taking it easy with dairy lately and have totally embracing more whole food ingredients. I love a yummy dressing with a salad and this one sounds like it’d be delicious for Mother’s Day coming up soon!

Kitty

April 6, 2018

We’re getting our garden ready to go for spring (somehow around March/April snow – totally out of character for the mid-Atlantic).
We love growing lettuce and have some started and its ready to go in the ground as soon as this, hopefully, last snow passes this weekend.

We have a lot of vegetarian & vegan friends so I’m really excited to try this out with some romaine from our garden.

I could also eat Caesar salad until I explode!! All day, every day with a side of buffalo sauce. Love the idea of making crispy tofu croutons and the cashews in the dressing. Such a great idea of to add texture.

Welcome to the Fitchen!

Welcome to The Fitchen! What’s The Fitchen, you ask? It’s a food blog where we share the healthy, simple recipes that help us (and you!) stay fit in the kitchen. Here, you’ll find mostly plant-based and gluten-free recipes.

Who are we, you ask? We are Jordan and Clark Cord (and Scout!). We’re passionate about real, whole foods and their power to fuel the body. We currently reside in Indiana where we balance our time between cooking and doing new projects on our first home!